episode_0058

It’s a perfect day.

A suitable day to hold an evening reception.

The sunset-lit garden exuded a romantic atmosphere, and the breeze blew just right as if it had been carefully arranged. Whether it was the perfectly timed weather or the sky approving of our engagement, I don’t know.

Either way.

I don’t like it.

Holding the fork, putting food from the full table into my mouth, it seems like I should be amazed by how delicious it is, but I don’t like it.

If some insignificant man tries to start a conversation, I would shoot daggers at him. I made it clear that any conversation would end badly. Yes, I don’t like it.

It’s really annoying.

Everything here…

“Sigh.”

“I could just disappear, seriously.”

Even Daniela sitting next to me seemed equally irritated. She tried to remain calm, but she looked uncomfortable in some way. Is this what they call women’s intuition? It just felt that way.

Maybe it’s because we can’t even pretend to get along with each other.

In that case, I’m feeling just as bad.

I’m not sitting next to her because I want to. I’m enduring it because I can’t change my assigned seat.

It was a nuisance to be directed to the same table as the friends from the academy. Even though we were dressed in formal attire, not uniforms, the staff here recognized us. They probably did some research… considering the invitations that were sent.

Come to think of it, it’s awkward.

Both Daniela and I… we’re heroines, but we’ve become nothing more than defeated heroines, yet is it okay to treat us like this?

Inviting heroines who weren’t chosen to the engagement reception and showing them bickering together, isn’t that a new form of torture?

This bastard, being a fan of the original work, should know how we feel, so is he doing this on purpose?

…

No.

I feel nothing at all.

Two of them climbed onto the low table and proposed a toast, looking at each other with affectionate eyes. Even if they kissed, it wouldn’t matter.

Even if Daniella doesn’t know, I’m okay.

I just need to achieve the reason I came here.

Whether I live well with Cloe or not.

It has nothing to do with me…

I really came here for work.

To find Cloe.

….

Really.

*

Carl grazed his chin and looked in the mirror. It was not his usual formal attire, but a splendid tuxedo.

The white shirt and bow tie looked very good together.

Before possessing, he had thought that a bow tie was something ridiculous, only used when a famous little detective disguised his voice, not something actually worn by men.

But seeing his reflection in the mirror changed his mind. Carl smiled satisfactorily at his reflection in the mirror. The young man with golden eyes reflected in the mirror was a plausible existence in itself.

Knock-

As he checked the knot of his tie and finished dressing, he heard a knocking on the door. Soon, someone knocked and entered without waiting for an answer. It was obvious who it was from the way they opened the door without waiting for a response.

“What’s taking so long?”

“We’re almost done.”

It was Louis.

He was combing his hair back and wearing flashy clothes. But as expected, he still looked awkward.

“You said clothes were wings, but even a fledgling looks decent?”

Louis said, whistling.

He was stingy with compliments, but he had to admit that the subordinate, with his tuxedo and bangs swept to reveal his forehead, looked impressive.

“If you’re ready, let’s go. Chris is waiting.”

“Yes.”

Carl turned away from the mirror and followed Louis out of the room.

The place where Viscount Maynard stayed was on the opposite side of the room where Carl was getting dressed. It seemed unnecessary to be so far away in such a vast palace. The path felt like a long journey. Thanks to that, he could explore various parts of the palace corridors.

The meticulous touch of the Information Bureau to preserve the royal palace was felt.

Everywhere looked old, but there was not a single worn-out corner. It was exactly the splendid royal palace used by the nobles. There were huge windows in every corridor, designed to let in plenty of light.

As Karl passed through the corridor, he suddenly looked out the window.

Coincidentally, the window where he passed overlooked the garden.

In the garden, a band prepared for the banquet was playing suitable music. The servants were busy serving food and entertaining the guests.

As the sun was about to set, the combination of the red sunset, the pre-lit torches, and the moonlight created a stunning landscape.

Karl gazed at the scene with satisfaction.

Although he had been troubled by Beatrice and was deeply pained by the fact that the heroine already had a man, he tried hard to forget it by thinking of his engagement to Chloe.

Now was not the time to think of Beatrice. He had to conquer Chloe first. In the original work, Chloe was the first to be eliminated in the formal race. If she had only been eliminated, it would have been fortunate, but because an unacceptable development occurred as a reader, he still shuddered when he thought about it.

“That won’t do…”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“Oh, it’s nothing!”

Startled by his unintended muttering, Karl hastily mumbled as Louis asked. Louis smiled and told him not to show any signs of frustration.

“Now it’s different from the original.”

Karl muttered to himself.

Indeed, it had changed from the original.

Beatrice with a man… Somehow, it seemed different from the image he had thought of since they first met. Even the early appearance of the unknown and the visit to the saint’s academy, which were not in the original, and even the timeline, were all different.

If Beatrice had been taken away due to the change from the original, then he had to keep Chloe. If you give something, you should receive something in return; that’s fair, isn’t it?

Reflecting on the meaning of the engagement, he walked through the garden once again.

I have never thought of myself as greedy. If the situation changes, I will adapt to it. I vowed that I would willingly accept the price of being possessed by the novel I had dreamed of. Still, the uneasiness in my heart did not subside.

I know I can’t have every heroine, but why can’t I have Beatrice? Even though there was a way to keep Chloe, unlike the original… It wasn’t satisfying. Karl pretended to be fine, but his insides were crumbling. Even now, when I close my eyes, Beatrice’s faint expression comes to mind.

“……”

Thinking it would soon be forgotten, I casually turned my gaze, and there was Beatrice. Karl’s golden eyes began to shake violently.

‘How…!?’

Upon closer inspection, Daniela was also there.

Surely only those invited could attend the reception, so I was perplexed by how those two were here. Heroines should avoid meeting each other if possible. Especially, it’s better for Karl to hide being with another heroine.

Even if it’s a lie, it’s an engagement ceremony.

What good is there in showing this kind of occasion to the other heroines?

Karl was greatly flustered at the thought of the troublesome situations that would unfold. At the same time, he felt ambivalent emotions towards Beatrice.

“Are you okay?”

Seeing Beatrice was clearly good.

Although he had been indifferent at the academy, and had tried to keep his distance, seeing her like this made him happy.

But as she nonchalantly sat at the table, putting food into her small mouth, seemingly unaffected by Karl’s engagement to Chloe, she looked disgusting.

If Karl were in the opposite position, and had been invited to the engagement ceremony of Beatrice and another man, he would never have attended. So sitting there and eating so nonchalantly might mean…

It might mean that Karl had no feelings for her at all.

That’s why Karl found Beatrice disgusting.

He hoped Beatrice would be tormented.

The day she found out about the man was like a knife. Upon hearing that Cloe was engaged, she wished for unbearable pain. She hoped she would feel the same turmoil as Karl had experienced.

Even if it’s a false engagement…

“I saw.”

“…”

As Karl stopped upon discovering Beatrice and Daniella, Duke Maynard appeared. His eyes behind the monocle seemed particularly stern today.

“You called for me, Your Grace?”

“Weren’t you supposed to call me father?”

“…Please answer.”

The Duke shrugged and stood next to Karl. He was nearly the same height as the tall Karl. To others, they might seem like father and son. Both wealthy, with similar hair and height, the age gap wasn’t significant.

“If that’s what you say?”

“Why? Why should they see Cloe and I getting engaged? It will surely… have a negative impact on our mission!”

Karl, who usually didn’t argue with the Duke, raised his voice. Louis sighed from the corner, observing the two.

“It’s necessary. They don’t seem too troubled by it.”

“I…! I am troubled…”

“No, no, Karl. You’re wrong.”

“…What?”

The Duke glared at Karl. His usual gentle demeanor was nowhere to be found. There was a chilling sharpness in his icy-cold words.

“You’ve made the ladies uncomfortable, Karl.”

“…”

“It’s because you recklessly revealed your identity, because of the ‘words’ you thoughtlessly uttered, and because you still haven’t properly seduced even one lady on the list…!”

His voice was so bitterly cold. Each word felt like a blow to Karl’s heart. Despite not raising his voice much, it sounded shockingly thunderous to Karl.

“So, that’s how it is.”

“I, I’m still…!”

“Stop making excuses. You won’t understand the reason why you called them now… Just be faithful to your role.”

Karl’s lips trembled.

There was nothing wrong with Lord Meiner’s words. They were all true. But it was a separate issue for him to feel resentment at being scolded for the first time.

“It’s not time yet, it’s too early, I can’t tell you. How long will you treat me like a child!?”

“Hmph, do you want to be treated as an adult? Then act like one. The world of adults revolves around achievement, evaluation, and reward.”

As Karl conversed with Lord Meiner, he felt only helplessness. He was being confronted with an irrefutable, cold reality.

“You must be a capable agent before you are my son.”

Gritting his teeth, he swallowed his self-loathing. Karl slowly closed his eyes to calm his tumultuous emotions.

“Let’s consider what you’ve heard as an answer, and don’t expect to do well today.”

“Yes, Father…”

Karl barely nodded and slowly responded.

Then he turned and left the corridor, heading towards the outdoor garden. It was time for him to take the stage as today’s protagonist.

Lord Meiner looked on satisfactorily. He returned to his usual gentle demeanor.

“…You’re truly the worst father.”

“I’m lucky I’m not the worst boss.”

Louise, who had been watching from a corner, approached with a displeased expression.

“You didn’t have to be so harsh.”

“Sometimes shock therapy is necessary, especially for those with exceptional talent and towering pride like Karl.”

“Why won’t you tell me the reason for calling the ladies?”

“If I told you everything, you’d just act according to what I tell you, forgetting how to think for yourself.”

The Duke’s gaze turned toward the window.

He saw Karl’s back heading towards the brightly lit banquet hall in the garden. Louise stood beside the Duke, also looking at the scene he was observing.

“Is it too much trouble to tell me?”

“That’s an unexpected idea.”

“In the end, it’s back to square one.”

“Yeah, three… no, one out of four is the princess.”

As the day waned, shadows fell across the faces of the Duke and Louis.

“What about Cloé Deminousse?”

I think she has the least chance out of the four.

“So, are you trying to clear your name by putting on this show?”

The Duke nodded silently.

“She’s a decoy.”

“You don’t mean…”

“If Cloé isn’t the real Deminousse but the real princess, she’ll definitely serve as bait to lure the princess out.”

“So that’s why they gathered in one place. Show yourself once.”

It was a hastily devised plan and operation, but the game the Duke had set up was quite charming. In fact, there were people who danced on the stage he had set up.

“One person is missing, but for now, this is the best we can do. If Unnouwn doesn’t appear, we’ll have no choice but to hand Cloé over to the sect, but if Unnouwn does appear…”

“The intelligence agency of the royal family will secure our information.”

“Yes, just as we swore at the beginning. It’s our duty. We can’t hand her over to the sect.”

Louis’s eyes sparkled as he moved his steps.

He would wait faithfully in the role entrusted to him, mingling with the guests at the reception. He hoped for the appearance of Unnouwn.